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Monday, 1 October 2012

What to Do and What to Avoid When You Are Writing Your Cover Letter

By Rina Wells


When you are trying to write a cover letter, there are a couple of things that you should do and there are others you should completely avoid. The following tips will be your guidelines as you write the perfect cover letter. That way you will submit your cover letter with complete confidence.

First off, to avoid your cover letter being treated like less important correspondence, avoid making it sound impersonal. The letter will be received and read by someone with a title. Do a little research and find out who that person is and address your letter properly to them. It shows respect, and also that you are not just simply going through the motions.

Also, make sure that the letter is customized for the particular company in which you are applying for a job. Generic sounding cover letters give the impression that you could not be bothered to find out what the company is all about. Let it reflect your genuine interest in working there.

You want to avoid a handwritten cover letter. This makes it look rushed and completely unprofessional and you do not want to give that sort of impression. So take the time to type it up and format it so it looks neat and professional, qualities that represent you.

A cover letter is supposed to be short but informative, so keep this in mind when you are writing one. Make sure that everything you have to write fits into one page and nothing longer. This will make sure that the hiring manager actually goes through it instead of immediately ignoring it because of its tedious length. You will also want to be careful with typing errors and other spelling mistakes. Proof read the document before printing and submitting it. Such errors are seen as a lack of attention and carelessness and will leave you jobless for a bit longer. Make sure that you properly introduce yourself to the hiring manager by pointing out your strengths and achievements.

Make sure your cover letter is not too long, as this will bore your reader. You should instead try to limit your letter to just one page. At the maximum. A long letter will probably not be bothered with so avoid that completely. Spelling mistakes and typing letters should not appear anywhere on your cover letter. Make sure you take your sweet time writing it, so you can make any corrections that prove necessary. The end result should be something that you are proud to send to a prospective employer. It is important that you get to point out your strengths and achievements in the cover letter. You do not get a lot of second chances and you need to makes sure that the first impression counts and is successful. If you follow these brief pointers, you can confidently be assured that you are one step closer to your dream job.




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